


Coffee, Gifts and Other Marauder Mischief

by WordsmithMusings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Coffee is life, Confessions, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Gifts, I know I'm sorry, James Knew All Along, Lily Probably Did Too, M/M, Marauders Advent 2020, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Mutual Pining, No Smut, Protective Remus Lupin, That Folger's Ad but Make it Wolfstar, The best part of waking up, Wolfstar but make it Christmas, chosen family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27758227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsmithMusings/pseuds/WordsmithMusings
Summary: For Remus nothing is more important than spending Christmas day with the Marauders, but will his best friend return in time to celebrate and appreciate his special gift?
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14
Collections: The Marauders Advent 2020





	Coffee, Gifts and Other Marauder Mischief

**Author's Note:**

> Written for The Marauders Advent 2020
> 
> My Character was Remus Lupin, and my prompt was Gingerbread House. 
> 
> The idea for this is based on this ridiculous [Folgers Ad](https://youtu.be/uMwFWDIFVCU) which I blame my Heauxs for inspiring me with. 
> 
> Thank you to the wonderful Frumpologist for hosting and encouraging me and the ever-faithful and supportive EscapingArtist for being my beta. 
> 
> A reminder that it's not my tree, I'm just decorating it, and a sincere Happy Christmas to one and all! xx

Christmas Eve 1980 found two of the Marauders at the primary residence of the Potters. James and Lily were upstairs asleep, with baby Harry in the bed between them. While an anxious Remus stood in the living room, staring out the window. Waiting. 

Remus felt the wards tingle and then saw Sirius appear at the end of the drive. Running to the door, he flung it open. 

Sirius smirked. "I must have the wrong house."

"Best friend," grumbled Remus, before engulfing the other man in a hug. "You made it."

"I did," replied Sirius, pulling back with a smile. 

"Let's go inside before we let the cat out." 

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I still can't believe Lily had to take a cat in."

"She can't help it. She has an affinity for strays." Sirius laughed at Remus' bad joke. 

"Did the wards wake you?"

"I've stayed up all night. I didn't want to miss you." Sirius was about to answer when a rich fragrance caught his attention. 

"Muggle coffee!" Sirius dropped his bag on the floor and leaned closer to the pot on the stove, inhaling deeply. 

"A gift from my mum. James and I spent a few days trying to figure out how to get everything to work. Lily felt so bad for us. She finally sent a letter to Mum asking for a Moka pot for the hob."

"Fancy." Sirius waited patiently as Remus poured the cup, noting that the other man made it exactly as he liked it - with three sugars and a generous splash of warm cream. Their fingers brushed against one another as Sirius gratefully accepted the cup from Remus' hand. 

"I love your mother, Remus," sighed Sirius after his third sip.

"Hey. I made the coffee," huffed Remus.

"I love you too," said Sirius. Both men froze as the words hung between them. Remus busied himself cleaning the few dishes while Sirius took another sip of coffee. " I have a gift for you too," said Sirius, setting down his coffee. "All the way from the shores of Lyon in France." 

"What were you doing in Lyon?" asked Remus.

Sirius waved him off. "Order business. Here." He placed a wrapped square box in Remus' hands. The paper was loud and brash like Sirius. A ridiculous red and gold plaid with a garish red bow atop it. Remus stared at it for several moments. Thinking of all the times, they had done this before and wondering how many times they'd have left to do it. "Aren't you going to open it?" asked Sirius. 

"Yes, Sorry. My thoughts were drifting," replied Remus playing with the bow. "War and all." Sirius nodded in understanding before clasping his hand on Remus' shoulder. "It'll be over soon. Dumbledore said so. We've just gotta keep old Voldyshorts on the run and take out those damn elitists that keep funding him."

"You're parents?"

Sirius shook his head. "Hopeless as ever." He sighed before running a hand absently through his hair, "And with Reg gone." he let the words hang in the air with a shrug. 

Remus nodded in understanding. They'd lost so many since they joined the fight. Order members appeared to be dropping like flies, and they had all taken extra precautions when Lily and Alice had both fallen pregnant at the same time. They didn't go into hiding perse, as much as played a more active rule behind the scenes. But others, others had fought and lost, and the weight of their sacrifice hung stiffly around Remus' neck these days. Fingering the bow for another moment, he removed it before placing it on Sirius' chest. 

"What's that for?"

"You're my gift this year," replied Remus. Sirius' eyes widened, and Remus felt himself blush. "You know what I mean," he stammered. "being here. All of us together. Pete's due tomorrow afternoon, and you made it back tonight. James and Lily. Harry." 

Remus stopped talking as Sirius pressed a finger to his lips. "You're rambling, Remus." 

Remus felt his cheeks burn at the contact from the other man, and he swallowed thickly. He shifted his attention to the present in his hands, finally undoing the obnoxious paper to reveal the box inside. "Always so careful," mused Sirius with a chuckle picking his coffee back up. 

Remus let the comment go with a roll of his eyes. Lifting the lid, he slipped the ornate Gingerbread house out of the box. "Here," replied Sirius waving his wand over the house, returning it to its normal size. Remus quickly moved his other hand to support the now heavy baked good. 

The house was ornate and the piping exquisite, but as Remus pulled it back, he saw a name plaque on the side and began to laugh. "This is not the shrieking shack," he wheezed. 

Sirius grinned. "Sure, it is. It's just what the old girl looked like before."

"Before what?" laughed Remus, setting the beautiful confection on the counter. 

"Before we ruined herl, of course." Remus laughed despite himself and shook his head at the other man. "Do you like it?" asked Sirius, stepping closer to Remus. "I picked this one on purpose, you know."

"And why's that?"

"It reminded me of you," he replied, suddenly morose. "Of that Christmas, in 6th year, when we went to your parents, and your mum had us all make Gingerbread houses."

"She wanted you to get the full muggle experience," mused Remus. 

"And she introduced me to gingerbread houses and coffee," smiled Sirius toasting Remus with his cup. 

"And has regretted it ever since," replied Remus.

"She has not. Your mother loves me." 

Remus rolled his eyes but nodded. His mother did, in fact, love Sirius, hence making sure the man had muggle coffee for Christmas every year. 

"Do you like it?" Sirius asked again. Remus turned to glance at the other man over his shoulder. Sirius no longer had the youthful look of a young man on the verge of adulthood. Graduating three years prior and being thrown into the brink of war had been hard on all of them, and Sirius, while as handsome as ever, suddenly seemed older and more tired to Remus' keen gaze. 

He knew better than to press about the mission. They all had jobs and assignments from Dumbledore that required diligence and secrecy - even from each other at times, but there was a sorrow to Sirius that Remus didn't remember seeing before. Maybe it came from the loss of his brother, or the murmurs of uprisings and the continued unrest and divide between many of the Magicals in their community.

Remus had hoped it would be better when they graduated when so many of them had joined the Order and began working tirelessly behind the scenes. Yet, it seemed that they weren't winning the war. Lily liked to say they were holding the line, but Remus knew better. James and Sirius as Aurors did too. They saw the constant seedy underside of their community. As a half-blood and creature, Remus saw the continued hate and discrimination play out daily as he looked for work or tried to infiltrate the packs. 

It all just felt impossible some days. 

Then there was Harry. Sweet, beautiful baby Harry that had brought with him so much hope. Even in the face of adversity. He and baby Neville were the next generation. Their new reason to battle and fight, to make a better place for what Remus, in his own mind, thought of as his pack.

Swallowing, Remus shook off his morose thoughts. Now wasn't the time for this. War didn't generally take a break, but there was something about Christmas. Something so magical and bright and beautiful that made Remus want to hope again. That being together this holiday was the sign of good things to come in 1981. 

"I love it," he said at last. He met Sirius' eyes, "and you." 

Sirius set his mug down, "What?"

"I love you." 

Sirius' smile split into a wide grin, and he closed the gap between them. "Just remember who said it first." 

"Please," came a voice from behind them, "You were always going to say it first." Both men turned to the doorway where a smug James was leaning against the door jamb. "Happy Christmas, Pads." 

Sirius grinned at his other best friend, "Happy Christmas, Prongs." 

"I'm going to go back to bed," the other man yawned, "You two carry on. Lily will be up in a bit with Harry, so you better rest up while you can." 

"Night," they called out in unison, watching him go. 

They stood awkwardly for several months before Remus cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we better head up for bed too." He blushed suddenly as Sirius raised his brow at him. "Not, not like that," he stammered. "To bed. To sleep. Not together, just to rest - for Christmas. Merlin."

Sirius laughed, the rich baritone filling something in Remus' heart before suddenly his vision was filled with the other man. Sirius’ black hair glistened in the dim light, and Remus felt his wolf stand at attention as he stared into his lake grey eyes. Sirius leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against Remus'. It was far from the first time that they'd ever kissed. There had been a season, long ago, that had found them snogging and so much more regularly. But that had been before they graduated. Before the prophecy. Before the uncertainty that they now lived in their day to day. 

But this kiss was not like before when they were awkward, inexperienced teenagers with more hormones than sense. This was the kiss of lovers, of men with purpose, who knew what they wanted and how to get it. Sirius didn't fight Remus as the other man took control of the kiss, tilting Sirius' head to just the right angle with a tug of his black hair. Sirius moaned in pleasure as Remus stepped closer, looping his arms around the werewolf as Remus coaxed his mouth open with teasing licks to his lips. Remus devoured Sirius, pulling him closer still. His other hand settling on the man's ass.

"You've lost weight," Remus mumbled.

"Occupational hazard," Sirius replied, peppering the other man’s lips with a kiss in between words.

Remus tenderly stroked the other man's cheek. "I'm glad you're home safely." 

Sirius closed his eyes and nodded, nuzzling his cheek against Remus' open palm. "We should go to bed."

"Not tired." Remus peered down into Sirius' eyes and felt himself blush. "Oh."

"Oh."

"Yeah," said Remus, feeling suddenly nervous, "Bed- bed sounds nice."

"We don't have to do anything tonight," Sirius assured him with another kiss. "Not being alone would be enough."

Remus gazed at the other man and thought of what the last few months must've been like. He noted the bags under Sirius' eyes that he didn't remember being there before. How long had it been since he'd slept in peace, without one eye open, wondering if at any moment he would be attacked or his cover would be blown? Remus’ wolf suddenly shifted inside him, the need to protect his pack calling deeply to him. Kissing Sirius deeply, Remus allowed his wolf a bit of control, the possessive side of him content with the freedom. 

"Let's get you to bed," he murmured, turning Sirius around. "You can get a few hours at least before Lils has us up for Harry's 1st Christmas."

"He's only four months old," laughed Sirius. 

"Try telling Lily that." Sirius shook his head in silent laughter as the other man picked his bag up and guided him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the small room on the 1st floor. 

"Made yourself comfortable, I see," mused Sirius, stepping into the room that was generally established as his in the Potter house. 

Remus blushed. "I gave up my apartment cause I was traveling so much on assignments for Dumbledore. Lily insisted that I stay here rather than try and find a new sublease."

Sirius merely nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed. Remus noted how tired the other man was, even as he attempted to take off his boots. "Here," said Remus kneeling before Sirius. "Let me help you."

"My knight in shining tweed," yawned Sirius. "Sorry, I traveled the muggle way across the channel and didn't get much rest." 

"You don't have to apologize," Remus replied, "I figured you'd be using a combination of magical and mundane travel."

"Easier not to be followed," Sirius agreed. "I want so badly to do really bad things to you. Very naughty things cause you're so nice, but suddenly, I can't keep my eyes open." 

Remus smiled as Sirius' eyes dropped. "Tomorrow, Siri," he whispered, kissing the other man's cheek. Carefully he removed Sirius’ shirt and jeans before positioning him in the narrow bed. "Lay with me?" 

Remus felt his heart tug at the request. "Bed's a bit small."

"Are you magical or not?" grumbled Sirius. "Make it bigger and lay down. Or leave it and just snuggle with me. Either way." 

"You're demanding when you're tired," murmured Remus, quickly divesting himself of clothes as well. Using his wand, he slightly enlarged the bed. It wasn't much considering the size of the room, but it was still a touch better. Crawling into the bed, he tucked himself in next to Sirius' snoring form. Summoning the blanket from the floor, Remus covered their bodies. He wasn't surprised at all when Sirius pushed back against him. His back spreading warmth against Remus' chest. 

"Good night, Pads," Remus murmured, brushing the black locks from the other man's face. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Moony," mumbled Sirius, sighing contently as Remus brushed a kiss against his shoulder. 

Remus allowed himself to relax. Sirius' body warm and strong next to his. He could hear the deep, even breathing of the Potters in the room down the hall. Tomorrow Peter would join them and they would celebrate Christmas with their newest Marauder. It would be a good day. A Happy Christmas indeed. 

Fin. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Your comments and kudos are the best gifts I can receive this holiday season. Stay safe! xx


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